Firestorm In the sky
by JanosAudron7
Summary: The strike witches return to take out a stronger nueroi threat. They meet an ancient mercenary and uncover the shocking truth about the Nueroi's origins.The fate of the world and witches everywhere is in their hands.
1. Prolouge

====================Proluge===============================

After the Strike witches destroyed the Nueroi Hive over Gallia they went their separate ways.

Another Hive spotted near the wasteland in the Orussian Empire poses a threat that seems to be too much for anyone but the Witches to handle

Now they must band together and take out this threat.


	2. Chapter 1

======================CHAPTER 1============================

The sky is crimson red and the clouds are distorted, the trees have black leaves and orange bark.

The sun does not exist only an ominous black gas in its place.

Here there is no reality, no air, nothing to sustain life. This place only exists for one purpose.

Created by one individual, one man who has lived a hundred lives.

And to him, its uses are slightly known. There he lays long black hair with a purple tint that breaks into spikes throughout it.

His black robe floats in this low gravity environment on its side are signs of it being burned.

He stares into the sky with deep black eyes that blend in with the pupils. A scar caused by a blade rest to the right of his nose.

His eyes close and a breeze rolls over him. He opens them and looks up at the moon and a stary sky while snow falls around him.

His voice is bold and dark, what humanity is left in him is barely shown through his direct careless way of talking.

"Another day here in this frozen wasteland, another day of waiting, This is no place for me anymore."

"Come on run faster! you call yourselves soldiers!"

A tall long haired burnette girl with white skin stands yelling at new recruits with a soft yet stern voice. Her eyes are tan and fierce.

She wears a grey overcoat and tanktop with grey cargo pants.

"These new recruits don't seem like they're up to the task."

Standing next to her is a girl of the same height and color with long red hair. Her voice is soft and caring and her orange eyes show experience.

She wears a brown overcoat and tanktop with blue jeans.

In her hands she holds a clipboard and stopwatch.

The burnette starts to talk.

"At this rate we wont have even a fraction of enough troops to make a sufficient task force."

"Then that means the we'll still have a job at least."

"What? Me, you, and Erica? We can't do everything."

"That's true with our condition. Have you heard from any of the girls?"

"Yeah, Lucchini and Shirley are traveling the world. I thought i said run faster!

Yoshika is busy with her family clinic while Lynette is at another military base out west helping out.

Perrine is helping rebuild her town. Hurry the hell up! Eila and Sanya are home. And of course no one knows where Mio is."

"It's been 3 years since we've seen eachother. I think we'll be together again soon though."

"I really hope they find someone else to be on the task force."

"Why? You want to go home and be with Chris?"

A gentle yet energetic voice is heard. behind them aproaches a girl with white skin and a few inches shorter. She has blue eyes and short yellow hair.

She wears a black overcoat and shorts.

"I thought you wanted to be here Trudy."

The Burnette starts to blush.

"No thats not it. I just want a break from all this work."

The redhead smiles.

"Have a nice nap Erica?"

"Yea how has your day been Minna?"

"It's been busy and boring."

"And you Trudy?"

"The same as it is everyday."

The loudspearks sound.

"Wilcke, Hartmann, Barkhorn. Report in now."

Erica becomes less cheerful.

"Aw looks like it's time for work."


	3. Chapter 2

===================Chapter 2=========================

"What's the status of those recruits commander?"

The General addresses Minna with a soft voice as she brushes her long brown hair out of her brown eyes.

"No ma'am, none of the recruits meet the requirements for the task force."

"Oh, that's a shame. Well looks like you three will have to find some mercenaries to help you. Wait, what if you get the witches back together?"

"I'll have Barkhorn contact them."

"Good, The Strike Witches are going to be sent to the Orussian Empire. It's cold there so I suggest you get used to the enviroment.

The wasteland there should provide a sufficient training ground."

"Understood ma'am."

The girls leave the office.

"Well I'll get on the phone and contact all the girls. Do you know where the base is in Orussia Minna?"

"Yeah it's about 50 miles from where Sanya lives."

"Well im going to go back to sleep, bye Minna, bye Trudy."

"You better not."

Erica leaves and Trudy follows her.

A loud shot rings through the trees a deer falls over into the snow, blood running from between its eyes.

The robed man walks over to it unsheathes his sword and cuts off it's head then drags away the body to a nearby tree.

"So boring,it's been 5 years since anything interesting has happened...or maybe somthings happening right now.

I've been in the wilderness too long to know."

He breaks some bark off the tree and lights it on fire with some gunpowder from one of his bullets.

"At least no one here can bother me."

He cuts off a chunk of deer meat and puts it on the fire waiting for it to cook. He starts to stare at the sky and it begins to turn red.

The fire sits motionless emitting no heat. The leaves of the trees blacken and the bark changes to orange.

Truly alone now he walks around the wasteland the red sand beneath his feet shifts with every step he takes.

"I vaguely remember first coming here...it was when i escaped death...is this where my soul is destined to walk?

My body refused to release it so now it's trapped here tied to my body. But why? Am I not allowed death? What more use do I have in this world?"

Everything returns to normal and he looks back down at the fire and the slightly burned meat.

The light from the sun barely shines through the clouds. He thinks silently to himself.

"What awaits me tomorrow?"


	4. Chapter 3

==============================Chapter 3===========================================

"Erica wake up we it's time to go."

"...Five more minutes..."

"Erica wake up and get dressed now!"

"...What's so important?..."

"We have to go meet Sanya at the base in Orussia so get up."

Trudy throws Ericas black overcoat at her.

"...Oh ok..."

She wakes up and gets dressed. The two of them walk to the hangar and meet Minna.

"You two ready? We have a long flight ahead of us."

"Yeah."

Trudy pulls Erica onto the plane and Minna follows them.

"She still asleep?"

"Unfortunately."

"Well as soon as the workers get our strikers loaded onto the plane we'll be ready to go. So you get some rest too."

The plane starts to move as the cargo hatch closes. It speeds down the runway and starts to fly toward Orussia.

"I wonder if Sanya looks any different. What do you think Minna?"

"What I'm wondering is if Lucchini got any taller."

"Hopefully she's more mature now."

"She's what 15 now? Probably still as childish as ever."

"Sanya will be 17 this year and is still most like shy."

"Three of us are to old to make effective shields."

"Haha grandma."

"Shut up Erica you're only a year away."

"But I can still put up a shield."

"...Shut up."

After hours of flight the plane lands at the base in Orussia where Sanya and Eila stand near the runway waiting. While the girls get off and hug them.

Both Sanya and Eila grew a few inches taller, Sanya still has the same short grey hair and grey eyes.

She wears a black and white collared jacket and black pants. Eila has long light grey hair and violet eyes.

She wears a light blue collared jacket and white pants.

Sanya still has a timid soft voice.

"It's good to see you guys again."

Trudy stands there shivering.

"How can you two stand this cold?"

Eila laughs with a joyful voice.

"It's nothing to us since we have to live in it. Here come on in."

They all walk into the base to warm up.

"The snow feels nice."

He walks aimlessly through the trees sounds of war flowing through his mind.

"This planet is damned to destruction they will always know war and sadness."

He sees a large boulder and climbs on top of it. He sits and stares at the moon while it slowly fades into a growing red sky.

"Why does this keep happening every time I try and remember the past?"

He looks to the left and see hundreds of shadowy figures charging at each other with swords engaging in battle.

He looks on surprised.

"What the hell?"

Jumping off the boulder he runs towards the fight only to realize that it's one of the wars that he fought in.

"What the hell is this?"

Watching on he sees the figure of himself slaying dozens of men with his sword.

Young and elegant his shadowy self glides around the battlefield slicing his enemies into pieces.

"If this is some way of making me repent for my sins it's not going to work."

Back on the boulder the stars look beautiful filling up a black deep sky.


	5. Chapter 4

====================CHAPTER 4======================================

The doorbell rings and two girls appear. One with long grey hair and a black jacket with dark blue eyes.

The other girl has long peach colored hair with a blue jacket and glasses and topaz colored eyes.

Eila answers the door and is suprised.

"Lynne!"

She hugs the girl with grey hair tightly.

"Did you miss us?"

"Yea I missed you Eila."

She says with a caring voice.

"What about you Perrine?"

Her attitude is uptight.

"I didn't really miss you too much."

Eila hugs Perrine and she blushes and hugs her back.

The seven girls sit on the couch and talk.

Erica asks a few questions.

"How have you girls been these past few years?"

Eila smiles.

"Sanya and I have been hanging out and traveling around on the trains."

Lynnete looks at Perrine who is too busy daydreaming to talk.

"I've been helping Perrine rebuild her hometown. What about you three?"

"We've been training new recruits on the generals base."

A plane can be heard landing on the runway. The girls look out the window to see two more girls approaching the door.

One tall with long orange hair and eyes wearing a light brown jacket and pants and flying goggles.

The other a few inches shorter and tanned with long black hair tied off with two bows and black eyes wearing a White jacket and jeans.

The taller girl knocks on the door and calls out with a cheerful tone.

"Yoohoo anyone home?"

Eila answers.

"Come in Shirley the door's unlocked."

The two walk in and the shorter girl jumps on Lynnette hugging her.

"I missed you!"

She laughs.

"I missed you too Lucchini. What have you been doing?"

"Me and Shirley have been traveling the world and racing in competitions."

"Sounds fun."

"Yea is Yoshika here yet?"

"No not yet, she said shes flying here on her Striker so it might be awhile."

"Oh ok."

They continue to talk about how their lives have been.

"Janos! Go with these men and attack them from behind!"

"To hell with that im going in through the front!"

"Listen you bastard I don't care if you are a merc you follow my orders!"

"Fuck you!"

The shadow runs towards a battalion of four hundred warriors swiftly drawing his sword taking down five of them.

"None of you can stand up to my power!"

His body glows and unleashes a wave of energy killing half of them instantly.

The other half scream and start to retreat. he goes chasing after them and the shadows disapear.

The sounds can still be heard piercing screams of pain and terror.

Metal scraping against metal, swords impaling flesh, blood spurting from open wounds.

He walks back into the tree line not bothered by witnessing what he has done.

"This place, it plays out my memories to me? And for what use? So I can repent? If that's the case then whoever's causing this is out of luck."


	6. Chapter 5

==========================Chapter 5====================================================

A striker can be heard approaching early in the morining.

Lynnette gets dressed and rushes to the door to see two people flying in. One with short brown hair and brown eyes wearing a blue and white jacket and pants.

The other wearing a brown hooded robe. The two land and the one with the brown hair hugs Lynnette.

"Lynne! I've missed you so much!"

Yoshika answers with an energetic voice.

"I've missed you two Yoshika!"

The stop hugging and Lynne looks at the hooded figure.

"Hello. May I ask who you are?"

The figure takes off the robe to reveal a woman with a white eyepatch and long black hair tied off into a ponytail.

Her uncovered eye is brown and she wears a white jacket with jeans and on her back is a katana half her size.

Lynnette rushes to hug her.

"Mio! I can't believe its you!"

Her voice is calm yet bold.

"What did you think I was dead?"

Lynnette blushes.

"No! it's just-"

"Haha dont worry about it I know what you meant."

She hugs Lynnette. and Yoshika's stomach starts to rumble.

"Oh! let me go make some breakfast. come in and make yourselves at home."

Lynnette runs to the kitchen to fix breakfast.

"Good everyones here."

Says Minna cheerfully.

"Mio where have you been?"

"In the mountains training. I'd occasionally visit Yoshika but I've been working on perfecting fighting without a shield.

You and Trudy cant use shields either and soon Erica and Shirley wont be able to so it's time everyone here learns how."

"Well tommorow We're going into the wilderness to train so that'd be the perfect time."

"Sounds like a plan then."

"Kyōda sora o bunkatsu!"

A large blast of light emerges from his sword and rips through the trees.

"I have to find somthing to do or im going to lose what sanity I have left."

He walks towards the fallen trees.

"Reberu chikyū!"

He swings his sword down and a wave of light completely destroys the fallen trees.

He looks at the destruction around him and everything fades.

"Launch the ballista! We take this fortress today!"

He looks on as an army attacks what appears to be a castle.

"The hundred year war I'm guessing."

He walks towards the shadows to see the gates on the castle collapse and the army storm in.

Minutes later fire can be seen and the sounds of battle can be heard.

"I must already be completely insane."

He turns around and walks away.


	7. Chapter 6

==================Chapter 6==============================

Mio walks around knocking on the girls doors.

"Everyone wake up it's time to go!"

Yoshika walks out still holding her pillow.

"Can't we rest just a little longer?"

The rest of the girls start to stumble out of their rooms.

"Wow you really do need training."

Trudy yawns.

"Mio it's three in the morning we just went to sleep to we really have to go?"

"No it's better if we go tired now get dressed and meet up in the hangar."

After thirty minutes they meet in the hangar and get in their strikers.

"Ok everyone stay awake and follow me."

Minna starts to fly out of the hangar and the others follow.

"We're almost there stay awake."

They arrive at a small hut.

Erica looks confused.

"We're all going to live in there?"

"No this is just for us to store our strikers while we're here. We're going to live out there."

She motions towards the forest.

Lucchini's spirit drops.

"Live out in the forest? In this weather? With the little clothes we have?"

"We know how to make fires so we should be ok. Take the knives on the shelf we might need them."

Everyone grabs a knife and they head into the forest.

"I've relived countless wars these past few days. I feel no different though, what was the purpose of all this?"

He looks into the sky to see a trail of smoke.

"I don't remember setting a fire in that direction."

He runs over to check it out.

"Hopefully it's someone with news about what's going on."

He stops and hides behind a tree look around it to see a group of eleven girls sitting around a fire eating deer. He climbs into the tree and listens to their conversation.

Lucchini looks around at the trees.

"What do you think is out there?"

"Probably wolves and more deer."

"Think any people might be out there."

Shirley sneaks up behind her to scare her.

"You mean like me?"

She grabs her shoulders and Lucchini jumps near the fire.

"Don't do that Shirley! I only have one change of pants!"

Shirley laughs uncontrollably and Minna tries to scold her.

In the tree he stares at Minna. And thinks to himself.

"They're here? Heh wow this brings back memories. Oh shit….."

Shadows start to run into a barricade in front of him.

"Janos you and Trudy flank them from the right me and Erica will provide cover fire."

"Yes ma'am!"

Two shadows run to the right and then open fire on a group in front of them who fall almost instantly.

"Job well done squad let's get back to base."

Forgetting he's in the tree he tries to step forward only to fall face first into the snow.

"Dammit…."

He looks up to see Mio has drawn her sword and the other girls are staring at him. She walks cautiously toward him.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?"

He gets up and brushes himself off.

"I live in this forest why are you here?"

"We're here under official military order so I'm going to ask you to leave the area."

"Military? Ha! Why don't you just get the hell off my land.

"Heh you're an arrogant bastard aren't you. One last chance leave."

He draws his sword.

"Let's do this then."

She quickly swings at him but he dodges it by moving behind her and kicking her into a tree.

"You have enough speed to fight with a sword but you lack basic instinct your mind is to slow."

She gets up and he kicks her again.

"You're a soldier? Well prove it!"

He lifts her up by the collar and pins her against the tree. Erica and Trudy try to rush and tackle him but he jumps out of the way and they hit Mio. Minna pulls out her pistol and points it at him, He stands there staring at her.

"Hand's in the air now."

There's a moment of silence and then he raises his hands. Erica pulls his sword out of his hands and Trudy pins him to the ground. She pulls his hood off and suddenly releases him shocked at what she sees.


	8. Chapter 7

===================Chapter 7==============================

His skin is pitch black and glowing red lines run through it. Trudy sits on the ground staring at him. He gets up and brushes himself off again. He helps up Trudy and hugs her. She hugs him tightly and tries not to cry.

"It's been awhile hasn't it Barkhorn."

"It's been too long."

"Only five years."

"I thought you died."

"….So did I."

Erica tackles him and hugs him.

"Janos! I missed you so much!"

"Ha, I missed you too Erica."

He gets up, walks to Minna and holds out his hand.

"Commander Minna."

She hugs him tightly.

"Where have you been Janos? I thought we lost you."

"I woke up there on the ground, you were gone and everything was burned down. How I lived I don't know but since then nothing has been the same. Why are you here?"

"We're training. A Nueroi Hive has been seen west of here and we need to adapt to the environment."

"You're over twenty aren't you? You're going to need to do more than just adapt to the environment. You need to be able to fight without your shield."

Mio gets up and walks towards them.

"I'm going to train them how to fight without it."

"So you figured it out? Glad I'm not the only one."

"What do you mean?"

A blue light surrounds him and wolf ears and a tail appear.

"What are you?"

"A demon, just like you."

"What do you mean a demon?"

"It'll take some time to explain but we both have the same ancestry. By the way, what are the Nueroi?"

"It's hard to explain since we don't know much about them."

"Well then as long as the commander needs assistance I'm going to help, Captain of Demon task force 557, Spectral Wolf Janos at your service once again Commander Minna."

Minna smiles at him.

"Good to have you back Janos."

Janos looks up at the sky.

"It's getting late, I'm going to get some rest."

He jumps back into the tree and the girls sit back around the fire. After awhile Mio turns to Minna and questions her.

"So who exactly is that?"

"He's a demon mercenary, I don't really know where he's from but I do know that he's a good warrior."

"You fought alongside him before?"

"Before the Nueroi invaded we were stationed at the same base he was helping train us."

"So wouldn't that make him a higher rank than you?"

"He wasn't there officially to train us, he was just a mercenary with the current task force at the time. He saw we were witches and offered to help us make our magic stronger."

"So what is he? A male witch?"

"A demon like he said, we've been recently called witches but the reality of it is that we all come from a similar ancestry of demons."

"So he can help us with shields?"

"I'm not sure, I've never even seen him use a shield have you Erica?"

She looks up from the fire.

"No, he's able to avoid just about everything that's thrown at him."

Trudy yawns.

"I don't think I've seen him use a shield either."

"Can we trust him to help us train then?"

Minna laughs a bit.

"I'm sure he knows what he's doing."


	9. Chapter 8

==========================Chapter 8========================================

Someone knocks on the wooden door causing Janos to wake up and look in it's direction.

"Come in."

The door opens and a man with white hair and pitch black skin walks in. He wears a room similar to Janos' and his eyes are glowing yellow. His voice is that of a teenager firm yet uncaring.

"Janos wake up we have to get to our post."

"Ugh I want to sleep."

"Get your lazy ass up."

He pulls Janos onto the ground.

"Let me go Reoz I'm awake."

Janos gets off the ground and puts on his armor.

"So what we just defend the castle from the towers?"

"Yea now get your bow and come on."

They both walk down the stone hallway towards the seprate towers.

"Remember Janos tonight you're buying the drinks."

"Yeah whatever."

They each head toward the two different towers.

"They better pay me enough for standing in here."

Janos walks into the top room of his tower and is met by a large group of guards.

"Do I need to be informed of something?"

The door closes behind him and locks.

"What's this?"

One of the guards lowers his spear.

"You've been deemed to much of a threat here you die."

"Heh, go ahead and try."

The guards rush him and he jumps over them with ease.

"Humans can't seriously think they can defeat me."

He throws one of them out the nearby window and impales another with an arrow. In the distance he can hear a wick burning.

"Ready! Aim! Fire!"

Something whizzes through the air and a cannonball breaks the wall of the tower hitting a guard.

"This isn't going to end well."

He hears a scream and looks out the window to see Reoz flying out the wall of his tower with a cannonball in his stomach.

"Reoz! Damn….I'm going to kill all of you!"

He charges the guards dodging cannonballs and he throws them from the tower. Theres a loud rumbling and the wall falls off.

"Shit."

He starts to run down the stairs and they collapse from the repeated cannon fire. He falls to the bottom of the tower with the tower itself chasing after him.

"uh..Dammit."

He lifts some rubble off himself. His muscles are weak and his vision starts to blur. He looks towards Reoz to see him being carried off by a group of guards.

"I'm going to kill those bastards."

Before he can move towards them he hears a group of guards approaching.

"Shit…I can't do much like this. Forgive me Reoz I will take revenge."

He clears the rubble away from him and runs out of the walls of the castle. Something tugs at his arm and he hears a voice.

"Janos wake up, come on its time for us to train."

His eyes open slowly.

"I'll be right there Minna."


	10. Chapter 9

===============================Chapter 9===================================

Janos sits under a tree watching the witches train. Mio instruct them to fight using hand-to-hand combat with no coats on. Lucchini looks at her puzzled.

"What's this going to help us with?"

"It'll build up your stamina and resistance. We can't always carry coats out into battle."

The girls pair up and start to train while Mio stands by and watches them. Janos approaches her.

"You need to train to don't you?"

"Yeah you want to help?"

"Sure but try and keep up with me."

They start to fight and Janos lands a series of blows to her stomach with lightning speed. She stumbles backwards then moves in to kick him in the head. He takes the blow and grabs her leg then throws her over his shoulder.

"No, Mio you are a demon you can't fight like a human."

He looks around at the others and is disappointed.

"Alright everyone that's enough!"

They all stop and look at him.

"We can't use human tactics, the way our bodies function is different. Fight by allowing your magic to flow freely throughout your body, don't think and let you instinct guides you through your strike. I want you all to attack me with this in mind."

They attack him connecting a few times but he manages to evade most of their strikes. He spins creating a wall of snow and breaks through it knocking down Eila. He jumps over them and chuckles.

"Haha that's more like it! But remember you can use magic and not just for your own unique abilities. Maybe later I'll teach you more about that."

He turns and thinks to himself. Then he turns back and snatches Mio's eye patch.

"Hey give that back now!"

"If you want it then you have to take it."

He bounds across the field increasing speed with each stride and the girls chase after him. He stops at a tree and jumps to the top of it. They look around thinking he disappeared.

"Hey I'm up here you want it back come get me."

The girls take turns trying to climb up the try and each fail after reaching different heights. They stand around the base of the tree tired and cold.

"You're thinking about this way to hard there's a very simple way of reaching me."

Shirley looks around puzzled.

"Just what the hell is he talking about?"

Trudy looks at the tree and laughs.

"I remember now."

She walks to the tree and starts to push on it. She glows with a blue light and the tree comes tumbling down with Janos on top of it. He gets up and brushes himself off while laughing.

"Ha now you're working like demons. Remember no one fights alone once we fight in war we are brothers till the end. You're squad is your family now and forever use each others strengths to cover your weaknesses."

Trudy smiles at him.

"Haha you're such a hypocrite Janos. I remember when we first went on a mission with the task force you told us that you were a mercenary and you work alone."

He throws snow at her.

"I still do work alone. I'm strong enough to be my own squad."

"Then why are you here?"

"I enjoy your company. Anyway now thanks to you we have firewood so let's collect some for later and continue our training."


	11. Chapter 10

===================================Chapter 10=========================================

"Alright everyone wake up it's time to return to the base."

Lucchini jumps up.

"Finally we get to leave this cold!"

Minna walks over to the tree where Janos is sleeping and throws snow at him.

"Hey pup time to go."

He scowls at her.

"Don't start calling me pup again."

She laughs and walks away.

"Well just get up we're leaving to the base."

"How far away is it?"

"About twenty miles away."

"Sounds like a good run."

He jumps out of the tree and stretches.

"All right then let's go."

The witches put on their strikers and begin to fly towards the base. Janos watches them and then follows. Mio flies close to Minna.

"He seems really passive."

"He is if you don't piss him off. He's very protective also."

"So he's going to live at the base with us?"

"Yeah, He can't use a striker though so I guess he's going to be a guard dog."

"Are there any rooms he can stay in?"

"I think so but Trudy's going to try and get him to stay in her room."

"So you're going to make an exception to your rule with him?"

"Yeah I'm going to have to."

After almost an hour of running they arrive at the base and the witches land. Trudy looks around for Janos and he appears a few seconds later panting heavily.

"Are you ok?"

He looks at her and smiles.

"Yeah just a little winded…."

He falls over onto the ground unconscious.

"Janos!"

She rushes over to his side and checks his pulse.

"Good he's not dead."

Mio walks toward them.

"I'm surprised he kept up for so long. Let's get him to the Infirmary so he can rest."

"Damn bastards, I'll kill them all."

Janos sits in a tree near the fortress gates and watches guards patrol the area. He looks at his bandages on his chest and arms.

"Reoz…we will have our revenge."

He pulls his bow off his back and fires an arrow into the patrol of 3 sticking it in the neck of a guard. The other two panic and start to look around the tree line. Another arrow flies and nails another guard in the neck. Janos jumps from the tree and stabs the last guard in the eye with his dagger made from a sharpened ribcage. He takes the armor from the guard and disguises himself hiding his clothes, bow, and dagger in a nearby hedge along with the bodies.

"Let's do this then."

He walks into the gates and looks around. He was filled with anger as he walked around. The castle was about 10 minutes away in his condition. He didn't know who gave the order to kill him and Reoz, commander or lord he didn't care they would both die. A guard stopped him.

"Hey we need an extra for our squad."

"What for."

"We were ordered to report to the commander after we found an extra soldier. In 2 hours we're going to stand guard while the prisoner is executed."

He didn't let this information taking him by surprise show.

"Understood."

He followed the guard to the barracks where he saw the commander awaiting them.

"Men you know your jobs. I don't want any civilians in or out of the execution area, you are permitted to use extreme force."

A guard came running towards them wounded.

"Commander! The prisoner got free while we were tying him up."

The commander put on his Oni mask and hopped on his horse.

"You heard him men go contain the prisoner."

They all ran towards the execution ground. There he saw Reoz impaling a guard with his own Katana. Broken and bloodied Reoz was still a fearsome warrior. The commander reared up his horse.

"I will take my place as shogun! Time to die Demon!"

Before the horse could charge Janos had took him to the ground and gave him a powerful elbow to the face splitting his mask in half knocking him out. He stood up and drew the stolen sword while removing his helmet and mask. A guard cried out.

"The other demon! Shit, kill them both!"

Reoz ripped the stake he was to be tied to from the ground and threw it into the guards knocking them all off their guard. Janos lunged and impaled one who had fallen on his back. The guards reorganized themselves and attacked him but Reoz jumped at them jabbing one in the stomach and sending him flying into the others.

"I was wondering when you'd come back."

"Let's just hurry and finish this before I pass out."

"You should have gotten more medicine for yourself."

"You're tired to so like I said lets finish this."

"You think we can make it out?"

"I know we can make it out."

They fought with the guards taking a few deep cuts but fueled by adrenaline it seemed like a scratch. An alarm sounded from the barracks and the whole army came charging towards them. In the midst of the chaos Janos saw what looked like a small black ball land in front of them. He could see a wick on it burning.

"Reoz get down!"

They ducked and there was an explosion. A few more explosions came from the crowd of guards as it scattered and screams could be heard.

"Firebombs!"

"Ninjas! Spread out!"

There was a number of explosions from the gates and the sound of a massive army roaring.

"What the hell is that?"

"During the few days I was gone I got some support."

A group of 11 kunoichi in various clothing and armor who appeared to be in their early twenties appeared.

"You brought the Ha no majo (Blade witches)?"

"You missed working with them as much as I did."

"Damn right I did. They're the only merc's than can compare with us."

A girl with long brown hair tied into a ponytail approached them.

"You two look like shit."

"Good to see you too Barkhorn."

Janos gave her a half smile.

"How's your daughter?"

"Being put through torturous training! She's a bad mom."

They heard another girl with Tanned skin and black hair laugh.

"Shut up Lucchini it's the same training I went through."

Janos noticed the commander starting to regain consciousness.

"Barkhorn, you and Hartmann grab the commander and take him somewhere secluded I'll deal with him later."

"Alright we'll hurry back."

They grabbed him and ran. Reoz examined the katana he took and frowned at its poor condition.

"We need to get to the castle and get my sword back."

Janos looked at the castle then back at them. The clash of blades and the smell of blood was a little disorienting.

"Alright then we'll let the Fuso army take care of them. Everyone to the castle!"

They ran towards the castle and took down some guards. Reoz started to run towards the prison house.

"Yeager, Lucchini go support him."

They run and follow him as the others storm into the castle. The lord stood there at the end of the corridor surrounded by his guards.

"You dare come here to kill me creatures? Then your deaths will be quick."

"I'm fine with that as long as you die with me"

They charged towards the guards and Janos launched himself over them landing onto the Lord impaling his skull with the katana. The guards turned around but before they could take action were struck down by the witches.

"Let's go."

We're abandoning the army?"

"No. We're going to end this. Sakamoto once Reoz gets back you know what to do.

"Right."

She drew the sword off her back and they walked out the castle to see Reoz, Yeager, and Lucchini running towards them.

"Alright I got my sword. You ready Sakamoto?"

"Yea let's do this."

Janos sat down on the steps as the two walked towards the enemy army.

"You've practiced enough for this right Saka?"

"Yeah let's just hurry up."

Both of their swords started to glow as they raised them in the air then they swung downwards towards the army and a blue wave of energy launched out.

"_Reppuzan!"_

In an instance most of the other army was wiped out. Reoz fell forward and Sakamoto caught him.

"He's out cold."

Barkhorn and Hartmann ran up to them.

"Did we miss it?"

Janos stood up.

"Yea take us to the commander."

They walked to the farming shed the commander was tied up in.

"Wait here I'll be back."

He walked in and looked at the commander.

"Who told you to kill us."

"Don't worry about it you can't do anything anyway."

"Just tell me"

"Oda Nobunaga."

"You're a liar."

"It's the truth. Oda Nobunaga want's you dead I have no idea why."

"I do."

"Then you go settle your debt."

"I will."

He walked over to the commander and smashed the katana into his skull leaving it behind as he walked out of the shed.

"Let's get out of here the army should be able to handle the rest."

Barkhorn put her hand on his shoulder.

"Where are we going?"

"We're going to get the rest of my clan."


End file.
